Trump Ally Harmeet Dhillon Resigns As Civil Rights Chief After Midterm Rout

A staunch ally of President Donald Trump, Harmeet Kaur Dhillon ran her own law firm in San Francisco for several years before joining the Justice Department.

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• Indian-American Harmeet Kaur Dhillon resigned as head of the US Justice Civil Rights Division
• Attorney General Todd Blanche praised Dhillon's leadership and dedication in a social media post
• Dhillon is the first senior official to leave the Trump administration since the mid-term elections

What prompted Harmeet Dhillon's decision to resign?

 Indian-American Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Kaur Dhillon has resigned as head of the US Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, becoming the first senior official to leave the Trump administration since the mid-term elections.

Attorney General Todd Blanche announced her resignation in a social media post, saying Dhillon had "led the Civil Rights Division with conviction".

"She has defended the civil liberties of every American and enforced the law without fear or favour," Blanche wrote.

"The department is grateful for her dedicated public service, and we wish her every success in her future endeavours," he said.

Born in Chandigarh into a Punjabi Sikh family, Dhillon's family initially moved to London before eventually settling in the United States.

A staunch ally of President Donald Trump, Dhillon ran her own law firm in San Francisco for several years before joining the Justice Department. She is a frequent guest on conservative podcasts and maintains a very active presence on social media.

Unlike her predecessors, she frequently took to social media to post videos about the work that her division was undertaking.

She acknowledged in media interviews that she often generated ideas for civil rights investigations based on various posts she encountered on social media. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Got a follow‑up question on this article? Go on

• Who is expected to replace Dhillon at the Justice Department?
• What are Dhillon's planned next steps after leaving government?
• How might her departure impact ongoing civil rights cases?

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